Unfinished Business
by LittleMagenta
Summary: --DISCONTINUED-- The Labyrinth was his sanctuary, where he could hide from the pain of his previous life -- until she tarnished it.
1. I am Jereth

**Unfinished Business**

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**Rating: **PG-13

**Genre:** General

**Author's Note:** I've been trying to think up a good idea for a Labyrinth fic, and this is the one I came up with. So I'm just going to go with it, and see what happens. The title is likely to change…after a few chapters, if anyone has any ideas, please give me some. Also, I know this chapter is really short, but that's just because it's mostly a prologue. The other chapters will be longer.

**Disclaimer:** Jim Henson owns Sarah and the inhabitants of the Labyrinth. Everyone else is mine.

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**Chapter One: **I am Jereth__

The young boy could not have been less than fresh out of the tenth grade. He walked through the hallways of his high school with his head lowered, to avoid eye contact. His long, light-blonde hair spilled into his striking eyes and onto the books he clutched to his chest.

It wasn't that he didn't notice the stares, and it wasn't that he didn't care. Today, with the stinging of his new black eye to distract him, it was easier than usual to ignore them.

He stopped and leaned against a wall, balancing his books upon his knee so he could pull down his shirtsleeve. He would get it even worse if one of the teachers found the red marks on his arms and called his parents.

Shit – he'd forgotten to finish cleaning his room the night before.

"I'm a dead man," he moaned.

He made it to class with seconds to spare. He sat in the back, in a corner. No one _wanted_ to sit next to him. He was the weird kid.

"What did you do, punch out your own eye?"

The boy winced and looked up at his classmate.

"You did, didn't you? What the hell? Did you do it so everyone would think you got in a fight, Jared? So everyone would think you're some tough guy?" He leaned over and hissed into Jared's ear. "You…are _so_ gay."

That stung. Jared was not gay, he was bisexual. And putting on a "tough guy" façade was the last thing he wanted to do.

He did not even reply to the other boy, but rather sat quietly in his chair and hoped the boy would go away – and he did, though not before pulling hard on a large chunk of Jared's silvery blonde hair.

Jared had one thing to look forward to – his parents would not be home until late that night. That meant time alone. Jared treasured his time alone. Sometimes he would lie back onto his bed and imagine he were somewhere else—somewhere where he was _always_ alone, with no one to bother him. And those who did intrude upon his solitude would bend to his every will. In this imaginary land he had power, and he was happy.

He visited his land first thing when he returned home that day. He appeared in the forest – not his favorite area. The inhabitants were orange, furry creatures, and were difficult to control. Jared concentrated, and he was no longer in the forest. Now he was in his castle.

The castle was his ultimate safe-haven. Most of the areas inside were for him and him alone, and the other inhabitants of the castle – ugly, little creatures, answered to his beck and call.

Jared released a sigh of contentment.

If only he could never leave…

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"Why does it seem like my eyes won't open? What is happening to me?"

"You no longer have eyes in the Aboveground. You…Outsider – tall and regal. You shall lead us! You will stay with us, our King. The castle has waited for you."

"Here…forever?"

"Yes, Sir, forever. Do you have a name, Almighty Goblin King?"

Not Jared. Never again Jared. Jared was dead.

"I…am Jereth."


	2. Return to the Aboveground

**Chapter Two:** Return to the Aboveground

"But even power and solitude grows tiring…"

The Labyrinth was Jereth's place of power, where he couldn't be hurt. But then Sarah had come – Sarah, who overpowered him and, yes, hurt him. She had tarnished the sanctuary that had been his for fifteen years. The memories of the pain she brought him lingered, seemingly fused into the air, everything, always. There was something not right about the Labyrinth anymore.

Jereth curled his lips into a bitter smile. "Let's check up on our little Sarah, shall we?"

He produced a small, clear orb out of the pocket of his robes and twirled it around his fingers, gazing into it. When a picture began to form, he stopped and held the object before him.

There was Sarah, walking briskly; long brown hair flowing out behind her. Her dark, thick eyebrows furrowed as she glanced around nervously from side to side. Jereth did not need to look at the books in her arms to guess where she was.

"First day of junior year, eh, Sarah?" he mused to himself. "Yes…I do remember that quite well. Dreadful day." He closed his eyes and the image vanished.

"Perhaps it may just be time to pay a visit to our little Sarah…"

But then, who would rule the Labyrinth? It had been fifteen years since he'd last left, after all. Would it turn to chaos?

"Who are you talking to, Jereth? Don't tell me you're leaving us!"

Jereth started, and then realized he had been thinking out loud. One of the goblins had overheard him. With an arched eyebrow and his trademark smirk, he quickly regained his composure.

"Sorry to say, I may go on a…_vacation_, if you will. Not a long one. I just believe I have some business to take care of in the Aboveground. But the question is…can I trust you all to _not_ drive my kingdom into devastation?"

"I certainly wouldn't do anything to devastate your kingdom, Sir."

Jereth grinned. He knew not of the goblins names; rather identified them by their appearance.

"I've learned over the years that I can trust _you_," he said. "You're a lone leaf on a branch of dying bark in this place, after all. Or rather…one of the brighter crayons in the box." He laughed to himself, remembering that old saying. "As a matter of fact…I may leave you in charge."

The goblin's eyes widened. "Really, Sir?"

"Really." Jereth knelt down and took the goblin's chin in his hand. "Do _not_ disappoint me. I should think you're wiser than that." He straightened. "I expect you'll tell the others of my temporary departure."

The goblin didn't have time to reply. He watched silently as the barn owl flew gracefully out of a nearby window.

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The chill of the Aboveground almost sent him falling forwards as he reappeared on soft grass that he hadn't seen for over a decade. He was standing outside of what he was sure had to be Sarah's High School. The first few steps were difficult, but he eventually made his way to the front doors and inside. He slowly walked down the hallway, and ducked into the nearest bathroom.

Jereth drew in a deep breath and looked into the mirror.

"It has been but a day…"

A young teenage boy stared back at him. The silver in his hair no longer completely overpowered the blonde, and it was shorter – to his shoulders. Gone were the extravagant robes he wore as the Goblin King, replaced by a regular boy's school-clothes – dark, baggy jeans and a short-sleeved, black button-down shirt. His heavy eyeliner was replaced by just a thin line around his eyelids.

But of course it had come to this. Time meant nothing to Jereth, after all. Not even in the Aboveground anymore.

He did not take the time to walk, instead choosing to appear in the hallway outside the office door. He decided then that he would not be the same person as before. Jared was dead and had been dead for years.

Jereth stood up straight and strode into the office, up to the secretary at the front desk.

"Do excuse me," he said to get her attention. His voice hadn't changed. "I'm a transfer student here. It's my first day in town. I need my schedule."

The secretary, without even looking at him, began tapping away at the computer keyboard. "Name."

Jereth opened his mouth, and then hesitated. He had been about to say Jared. But he remembered the day Jared died. He wasn't coming back.

"I'm Jeremy," he said. "Jeremy Locke."

The secretary typed away for a few more seconds. "I'm sorry Mr. Locke, but I don't see your name in the directory."

"Look again."

"I swear, if you were in there I would have seen your name befo – odd, there you are."

Jereth grinned smugly as his schedule was printed – he had the same classes as Sarah, if his spell had worked correctly. He would soon see.

As Jereth walked out of the office and down the halls of high school to his first class, an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time gripped him and seized up his throat. Jereth was nervous.


End file.
